


A Smashing Series of Shorts

by Siarnaq



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 10:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5825443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siarnaq/pseuds/Siarnaq
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Please forgive the title, I am too lazy. This is a series of short one-shots between random characters in the Smash games. Mostly non-romantic, just focusing on the dynamics between these wacky people. Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

For all the ruckus the Smash combatants made during the day, the master mansion was surprisingly quiet after ten at night. After a few times accidentally waking Kirby and dealing with his tantrums, the rest caught on and began hushing up when the star warrior was asleep. Link was awake despite the moon looming high overhead in the night sky. The pleasant breeze that swept across his face coaxed an unbidden deep breath and sigh out of the quiet man. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, the barest smile touching his elven features as he leaned against the balcony. The sudden chill he felt as his hat disappeared startled him, and he whipped around with his hand on the grip of his blade at the sudden attack. Above him floated Palutena, bathed in an ethereal glow with her halo and wings shimmering like a mirage behind her. She was wearing a bemused smile as usual, dangling Link’s hat just out of his reach as she floated above.   
“Really, how many hat-snatchers must you have dealt with in Hyrule to have such a violent reaction?” she chided playfully as she donned his hat and floated gently to the floor. The emerald shade of the hero’s hat complemented the slightly lighter shade of green of her hair quite nicely, though Link suspected that being a Goddess, she could affect anyone’s perception of her and always be seen as beautiful regardless of any bias toward features considered beautiful. He’d dealt with beings capable of fooling the senses before, and his slight suspicion of foul play here made him a tad more standoffish than usual. He huffed a bit and crossed his arms, not fond of being teased. After a mockingly innocent little smile from the Goddess of Light, Link held out his hand for his hat back. Palutena tossed her hair over her shoulder in response, brushing past Link to sit on the balcony with her long legs crossed.   
“So, what were you brooding about all by yourself? The unrequited love of your fair princess? The weight of bearing the Triforce of Courage?” She asked with a small laugh befitting her regal appearance. Another huff escaped Link before he could stop himself, and he settled for leaning against the balcony again and ignoring her. With any hope, she would grow bored and leave him alone.  
“Ah, strong silent type. I’d forgotten how fond Bearers of Courage were of that cute charade.” Link continued ignoring her, not about to let this pampered Goddess gain amusement from him. Surely she was making the haughty little princess pout she always fell back on when she didn’t get what she wanted. The thought made him smirk.  
“Capable of smiling after all, I see. It’s quite a handsome smile, you should wear it more often.” Link rolled his eyes at this, sure the flattery was another ploy. Being of a quiet disposition, he was quite eagle-eyed even during social interaction. He’d seen the way Palutena buttered up the Captain and Ike, having them wait on her hand and foot without them even realizing it.   
“Well since we’re both pouring out our hearts here, I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately too.” Link waited for the inevitable request for a massage or hot tea to follow this statement, but it never came. The silence that followed was not an uncomfortable one, both parties enjoying the pleasant weather and the rustle of the leaves as wind swept through the forest surrounding the mansion. Somewhere a wolf howled, making Link nostalgic for the days of his last quest. After a moment he turned to take his hat from the Goddess and leave, but he stopped upon noticing a quite uncharacteristically melancholy expression on her face. Once she realized he’d shifted his gaze to her she smiled cheerfully at him, but he’d already caught her vulnerable moment. He considered his options as he looked at her perfect mask of happiness surely crafted through millennia of practice. He could still snatch his hat and leave, but he knew he would feel uneasy the whole night. He gestured for her to speak, relenting with a smile and shifting a bit closer.  
“Oh no, I couldn’t burden you with my grievances and worries…” she started, but Link put his finger to her lips to halt her, startling her. “My horse.” He said quietly, further startling Palutena, who had never heard him speak in all her time at the mansion. His voice was surprisingly deep, hitting a pleasant bass note she wouldn’t have guessed belonged to his mildly feminine Hylian features. “Come again?” she asked, a bit confused and recovering from her surprise.  
“I miss my horse. Her name is Epona.” Link elaborated curtly, looking at her expectantly. It only took Palutena a moment to catch on.   
“Ah, I understand. That’s what you were out here thinking about. And now you want me to tell you something in return.” Her smile turned bemused once more, apparently quite pleased with this turn of events.   
“Well… I was thinking about Pit.” This earned her a raised brow in confusion from Link. He’d seen how she treated the young angel, sending him on dangerous outings with naught but a pat on the back for encouragement and a pat on the head as a reward.   
“Don’t give me that look,” She said with a smile, punching Link playfully in the shoulder. “I do care about him you know. I’ve watched him nearly die several times. He is precious to me.” After a moment of gathering her thoughts through which Link waited patiently, she spoke further.   
“He is my eyes and my hands. I cannot meddle in the affairs of the world of Man or enter the Underworld to take care of things myself. If I could keep him out of danger, I would. He’s so young, so painfully innocent.” Her face turned weary beyond her young appearance. It was the look of someone much, much older than Link could ever fathom, someone who’d gone through more pain than he. He smiled and took her hand, shaking his head to deny what she’d said.   
“Oh, I know he’s stronger than I give him credit for. He’s proven it time and time again. But I can’t help but wonder if he’d be happier living a peaceful life. A life without me.”  
Link shook his head again, with more conviction. “He loves you. You should hear how he speaks of you.” She perked up at this, squeezing Link’s hand gently.   
“You needn’t say these things to comfort me, you know.”  
Link rolled his eyes. As if he would waste his time trying to comfort Palutena of all people just for the sake of comforting her. “I’m being serious. You’re like a big sister to him. He looks up to you. He’s thankful for you.” She thought on this for a moment, and once more they sat in silence. As she sighed, Link could see the change in expression from her false mask to another rare true smile. She got up off the balcony, walking inside and holding the door for Link.   
“You have a nice voice. You should speak more.” She said. It must have been her roundabout way of saying thank you, since Link had never heard thank anyone before.   
“You have a nice smile.” Link said in return, refusing to say ‘you’re welcome’ if she wouldn’t thank him properly but at least willing to share that little truth. He walked past her and plucked his hat off her head, walking to his room without a goodbye. Palutena watched him walk away with a smile, closing the door to the balcony with a quiet click.


	2. Chapter 2

Lucina cursed Rosalina for the hundredth time as her blade once more was sent flying out of her hand. Her sparring partner, a wire frame in the shape of a man generated by the room, ceased its assault and froze in place. Once more, Lucina trudged over to where Falchion stuck out of the training room floor and pulled it out, muscles burning and face set in a determined scowl. Her performance in the recent tournaments was less than stellar, and she was beginning to lose favor among the crowds. The usual favorites lounged about the mansion without a care in the world; Rosalina in the observatory on the roof, Samus in her room, and Sheik off who knows where. All the while Lucina spent every waking moment hungry for battle, for victory. She wiped the sweat from her brow and set to sharpening her blade, running through her losses in her mind and taking a lesson from each one. Let them say what they might, she would not make the same mistakes twice.  
She was about to begin once more when the door to the room opened. The figure on the other end blocked nearly the entire doorway, hunching beneath the doorframe that should be more than sufficiently tall enough for any normal-sized person to walk comfortably through. Ganondorf straightened to his full towering height, the gem on his forehead gleaming dazzlingly and the scowl on his face slightly deeper than usual. His heavy boots made his authoritative gait all the more intimidating. He stopped with arms crossed at the panel on the wall which dictated the settings at which the wire frame fighters would spar, tapping deftly a few times and turning to Lucina as her digital partner vanished.   
“Can I help you?” She asked, frowning.  
“You’re wasting your time. Get out.” Ganondorf grumbled, unclasping his cape and letting it fall to the floor.  
“Yeah, well I’m not going to start taking advice about fighting from someone lower on the rankings than I.” Lucina said with a scowl, standing her ground with Falchion in hand as Ganondorf cracked his neck and approached. She would not be intimidated, especially not by the warlock standing before her.  
“I was taught swordsmanship from my father the prince of Ylisse and am of the same bloodline as the Hero-King Marth-” she started, taking offense to his words and tone.  
“You were taught poorly. You have wasted enough time perfecting inefficient swordplay. I will wait no longer.” Ganondorf interjected, glaring down at the young woman whose head he could crush in a single hand. Lucina halted at these words, backing a step away from the man.   
“You were watching me?” she asked accusingly. Was he gathering information for the others from his realm? Or perhaps for his own personal use?  
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Ganondorf said with a throaty laugh, shaking his head.  
“There isn’t much to watch. You wave that blade around like an angry child.” Had she any more strength in her body Lucina would challenge the dark magician to a match right then and there, but she settled for a scowl of her own and sheathed her blade.   
“Rot.” She cursed him as she walked past. It was time for a rest anyway, she decided.  
“You’re too slow.” She heard Ganondorf say behind her, hearing the sound of a blade unsheathing and turning warily. Ganondorf threw aside the sheath to his blade, which he had not been carrying upon entering. Lucina suspected black magic once more, but her thoughts of cursing him ceased as he dispatched the wire frame fighter she had been training with for hours without breaking a sweat.   
“Your father was like me, I presume, a man of great strength. He taught you to fight like him. You are not as strong as him,” Lucina opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by a stern look from the Gerudo.   
“But you are much quicker. I can teach you.” The offer caught Lucina off guard. A quiet moment passed as Lucina considered the situation carefully.   
“What’s the catch?” She asked, still mistrustful of the murderer with a god complex who stood before her. Ganondorf thought for a moment before shrugging nonchalantly and reaching out a hand to which his abandoned scabbard floated gracefully.   
“Consider it a favor. You’ve spent enough time in this room to deprive me of a full days’ worth of training. After I’ve taught you what you should be doing, you will triple your growth in half the time and I will be able to train at my leisure as opposed to listening to you complain about those stronger than you.” Lucina’s cheeks flushed at the comment, and she felt she had half a mind to walk away then and there.   
“Besides, you’re hardly in a position to question the charity of an elder more skilled than you offering to teach. I expect to see you at dawn.” He said, turning and sheathing his sword where it apparently winked out of existence once it’d been blocked from Lucina’s field of view.   
“You’re dismissed.” Ganondorf said, beginning his own regimen and paying no further mind to the angry blue-haired young woman at the door. Lucina turned and slammed the door shut behind her, stomping her way to the mansion to recuperate from her admittedly inefficient training and prepare for the day ahead.  
_________________  
Just as the sky was beginning to brighten from deep black to a navy blue, Lucina entered the training room with the intention of loosening up before her training. She’d spent the day before discussing the encounter with Robin and Ike, the former disapproving of the notion of training with a King of Thieves and the latter cautioning Lucina that the choice was hers to make, and she should accept responsibility for whichever decision she took. She wasn’t exactly sure why she decided to come that day. Perhaps it was just because she’d happened to wake early enough to get ready by coincidence. Then again, perhaps she was just willing to take any risk to restore her pride. Either way, she stood before the control panel rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and stretching as she considered which setting to start off on.   
“One opponent, level 9, 2 strikes.” Lucina nearly lept out of her skin as she looked to the center of the room where Ganondorf sat, legs crossed and eyes closed.   
“Did you ever leave?” She asked incredulously, wondering where exactly on the spectrum of inhuman the warlock was.  
“I will not repeat myself.” He growled, standing with little effort despite his heavy armor. Lucina rolled her eyes, but inputted the proper settings and took her place in the room. The battle dragged on for nearly ten minutes, both combatants trading heavy blows and shrugging off each other’s attacks. At last Lucina took a second strike to her side, unable to get her blade in the proper place fast enough to block and sent flying as a result. Ganondorf sighed and rose, walking over to where she lay and scowling in thought. She nearly flinched when he reached down, not wanting his help to get up. He instead reached past her and took her blade in hand, analyzing it with a critical eye as she rubbed her sore shoulders and watched curiously. It was out of proportion to his long limbs, looking more like a short sword in his huge hands. Nonetheless he went through several forms very slowly with the blade, taking several stances and testing it’s balance. He nodded, finding it satisfactory and handing it grip-first to Lucina, who took it and sheathed it.  
“You said I was fast, but the fighting wire frame can get blows in before I can block them.” Lucina pointed out, standing and wondering why she had to learn a whole new form of combat when she’d done just fine thus far.  
“You are quick on your feet, and you have excellent positioning. You never misstep, and reposition yourself unconsciously constantly in order to be in the advantageous position during combat. However,” he continued as he stroked his beard thoughtfully,   
“The time you gain from being in a constantly advantageous position relative to your opponent is cancelled out by the recoil you receive from blocking attacks directly as opposed to dodging them. You should focus less on blocking outright and more on avoiding and deflecting. You take advantage of openings by going for the kill with one strike, however I propose you instead strike twice non-lethally. Your strength is not your tenacity, but your agility. Draw your blade and mimic me.” He reached behind himself, again pulling his sword from thin air and tossing aside the scabbard. Lucina stood beside him, watching closely as she mulled over the advice he offered. He began to move gracefully, very slowly, through several forms of swordplay. Even at such a pace, Lucina struggled to mimic him, scowling as she went through the motions.  
“Don’t move.” Ganon said with a sigh, leaving his sword to float in midair as he stood behind Lucina and gently pushed her back and arms until she was balanced properly.   
“Remember the adjustments I just made. Again.” They moved through the forms a few more times, more quickly each time until Lucina noticed that it was not her struggling to keep pace but Ganondorf. The momentum his longer limbs held from moving from stance to stance was harder to counteract, and this paired with his general bulkiness and longer sword made the forms unwieldy for him to perform. When he could no longer keep pace, he bid Lucina to stop.  
“I recorded these motions before you arrived, you may access them at any time using the control panel. Practice them daily, moving from slow to fast. Now, fight me.” Lucina nearly dropped her sword.  
“You’ll win.” She said flatly, not entirely confident in her abilities just after learning a new style of fighting. Ganondorf smirked and stood opposite her in a form she hadn’t seen.   
“Listen closely, Lucina. For every blow I land, I want you to land ten. If I haven’t fallen at ten, strike with one hundred. If not with one hundred, then one thousand. Use your superior footwork against me. Don’t be afraid.” She nodded with a grim expression, not entirely convinced but nonetheless excited to put what she’d learned to the test.  
The battle was fierce from start to finish. It took only moments for Lucina to see what her teacher had been talking about as she danced around him deftly, blade nicking him several times between each of his blows and still finding time to adjust her position in relation to his. In no time they were confidently entering and leaving each other’s kill range, her blade whizzing through the air like lightning and his footsteps and strikes sounding like thunder. At last it was Lucina’s overconfidence with her newfound prowess that was her undoing as she tried to extend an aggressive string of blows too far, and Ganondorf’s blade swung through the air toward her neck. The only sound in the room was both parties panting, before at last Ganondorf sheathed his blade and it blinked out of being once more.   
“Naturally, I was correct,” Ganondorf said with a proud little smile,   
“As expected of course. Continue your training, innovate and grow beyond what I have taught you. Learn quickly and grow stronger.” Ganondorf frowned a little, crossing his arms as his usual serious demeanor returned.   
“And quit your grinning. You only came so close because I prefer hand to hand combat.” Lucina’s smile dropped for a moment in surprise. She touched a slightly sore cheek, realizing she’d probably been grinning throughout the whole last half of their duel. Her exhaustion and jubilation at finally being good at what she loved bubbled up inside her and she laughed loudly, unable to stand from her fit of giggles and resorting to sitting. Ganondorf meanwhile stood and tapped an impatient foot. After a moment, Lucina’s laughter had subsided and she stood with an outstretched hand.   
“You have my thanks.” Ganondorf scoffed, knocking Lucina’s hand away and turning to leave.   
“Don’t thank me. Maybe now that you’re not quite so incompetent, I can train when I please.” With those pleasant words, he ducked out of the room and left Lucina mildly annoyed. Her annoyance melted into a small smile. He’d left his cape on the floor from the day before. Perhaps she’d return it later.


End file.
